


From The Heart

by Ink_Gypsy



Series: Sanctuary Singles [22]
Category: Lord of the Rings RPF (AU)
Genre: M/M, Sanctuary Universe, Sean Astin/Elijah Wood - Freeform, mother's day fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 06:09:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14635686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: Sean does something to make Mother’s Day easier for Elijah.





	From The Heart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My Mom](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+Mom).



> This is dedicated to my mother, who also loved red roses.
> 
> Part of my Sanctuary Universe.

[](https://imgur.com/wldnFzE)

The fifth Mother’s Day commercial in a row aired during the movie they were watching on their big screen TV, another new addition to the cabin. This one was from 1-800-FLOWERS, and when it was finished, Elijah turned to Sean and asked, “Is there a special flower for Mother’s Day?” He expected Sean would know the answer to this question and wasn’t disappointed.

“If you mean a traditional flower,” Sean replied, “then yes. The carnation is the traditional Mother’s Day flower, and carnations of different colors represent different things.”

“Like what?”

“Well, pink carnations represent love and gratitude, while red carnations are a sign of admiration. White carnations are traditionally worn or given in remembrance of a mother who has died.”

Elijah said, “My Mom loved red roses, so that’s what I always gave her on Mother’s Day. I could only afford two at a time, but I tied them together with a satin ribbon, and she always seemed to love them.”

Sean smiled. “That’s because she knew there was love behind them, that the gift you gave her came from the heart.”

“By the time I was working and could afford more than two roses,” Elijah went on, eyes shining, “she was gone.” Using the heels of his palms, he wiped at his eyes. “Shit,” he mumbled, “I thought I was done doing this. I’m sorry.”

“Never apologize for showing emotion,” Sean told him, his voice gentle. “It’s only natural to get emotional about your mother around Mother’s Day. All those advertisements selling cards and gifts for the occasion have got to be hard to see when all they’re doing is reminding you that your own mother is gone.”

“I always went to visit her grave on her birthday and on Mother’s Day,” Elijah explains, “but I can’t do that anymore.”

It was heartbreaking for Sean to see Elijah in this kind of pain because it made him feel helpless and unsure of how, or even if he could help. Last year, Elijah had put on a brave face, insisting he’d gotten used to not being able to celebrate Mother’s Day with his Mom, and that it didn’t bother him anymore, but Sean hadn’t been convinced. After his own mother had telephoned, Sean wondered if Anna reaching out to Elijah on Mother’s Day had hurt him more than it had helped. No matter what his mother’s intentions had been, perhaps it had made Elijah feel worse, though he had accepted her request to think of her as his mother gracefully, ending up making Anna feel better rather than the other way around.

Sean couldn’t help believing that if Elijah had a real relationship with his father and brother, things might be different, but having only Hannah as his family support system, it was understandable that being so close to his mother, the hole her death had left in his heart couldn’t easily be filled.

This was the first time since they’d been together that Elijah had mentioned visiting his mother’s grave, and after hearing it, a plan began to form in Sean’s mind. Since it was almost a month until Mother’s Day, he thought he had a good chance of pulling it off, and began working on it the next morning.

If Sean had believed in such things, he would have said the planets were aligned correctly or whatever it was astrologists said to explain good luck, but he put his success down to the expediency of the internet.

It had taken much web-surfing to find exactly what he wanted, and numerous trips to Jenkins’ store to pick up his packages, trips taken alone because luckily, the country store no longer held any interest for Elijah. That was fine with Sean because it made hiding the items he’d ordered easier, and since Elijah was used to Sean spending hours outside in his tool shed and in his garden, his absences didn’t arouse any suspicion.

On Mother’s Day, after Sean had called his mother to see if she liked the bouquet of pink and red carnations he’d sent her, he asked Elijah to come outside for a minute.

Knowing he wanted to add new plants, Elijah expected Sean to head to the garden, but instead, Sean lead him to the other side of the house where a pot containing the stems of a plant he didn’t recognize sat in newly-dug hole.

[ ](https://imgur.com/WqHvILo)

“What am I looking at?” Elijah asked.

“It’s a rose bush,” Sean explained, “or it will be after it’s planted and the buds appear.”

Sean showed him the steps, and together they prepared the soil and moved the plant from its container into the hole. After replacing the dirt and watering the plant, they stepped back to admire their work.

“Is this because I told you my Mom liked roses?” Elijah wanted to know.

“That’s part of it,” Sean admitted. He left Elijah, and came back moments later carrying a square of polished wood. A blooming rose was carved into the wood, and painted right above the carved leaves were the words _Beloved Mother_.

[ ](https://imgur.com/5GZSapr)

Elijah just stared at the plaque, not comprehending its meaning.

“I wanted to pay tribute to your mother,” Sean went on, “to make a particular place and mark it with this plaque. Once the plant grows and the roses bloom, I’ll make a stand to display the plaque properly, but I wanted to show it to you now to make sure you liked it.”

“What made you do this?” Elijah asked.

“It was what you said about the cemetery,” Sean explained. “I wanted to create a place where you can come to pay your respects on your mother’s birthday, and on Mother’s Day, or any time you want, a special place where you can go to feel close to her. I know it’s not the same as being able to visit her grave—“

Elijah threw his arms around Sean and pressed his face against his lover’s neck. “It’s not the same,” he said in a choked voice. “It’s better. Mom would have loved it, and you know what else?”

“What?” Sean asked.

“She would have loved you.”

Sean smiled into Elijah's hair. “I know I would have loved her, too. I only wish I’d gotten the chance to know her.”

“I wish that, too,” Elijah said.

Sean felt wetness against his neck, and knew that Elijah was crying. He held his young lover close, and this time, Elijah made no move to wipe away his tears.

[ ](https://imgur.com/DZINa79)


End file.
